First Place:  2

Entry number: 845

Exhibitor: babyewe

State: CO

Sheep name/number: Z

2 is the most powerfully constructed, thickest made lamb that is the most correct in his skeletal design.  Ideally he could be longer sided and have a higher % hindsaddle.  Yet in comparison to 1 in the initial pair, the deeper bodied wether is smoother shouldered and transitions from his shoulder to ribcage with a better look. 2 is a bigger topped wether that progressively widens from his rack to his loin and hip.  Most importantly he is a later maturing, stouter constructed lamb that I would project to achieve heavier weights and consequently harvest more muscle at his terminal endpoint.

Second Place:  1

Entry number: 824

Exhibitor: numberoneshowgirl

State: OR

Sheep name/number: Little Albert

Breed: Hampshire

Website: ALG Club Lambs on Facebook

I’ll be the first to admit that 1 is a nice, well balanced lamb on the profile, and the other quality show lamb prospect in the class. Unfortunately, he is coarse about his shoulder, pinches right behind his blades and gets in at his hocks, so I opt to leave him second. 

However, with these faults aside, he is definitely a heavier muscled more shapely lamb with more muscle mass than 4.  3 reads to have more shape and expression to his rack, is deeper twisted and certainly has more lower leg.  In addition he is more eye appealing on the profile and should grow to a more shapely show-type wether.

Third Place:  4

Entry number: 915
Exhibitor: EmsoffLambs
State: CA
Sheep name/number: 247
Breed: Hampshire X
Website: www.emsofflivestockcompany.com

There is no doubt that 4 is shallower fronted and extremely level in his topline and truer from his hock to the ground. Unfortunately he is a great deal lighter muscled than the initial pair so he is third. 

Still he presents a much nicer look from the side, is stouter boned and more structurally correct than 3 in the concluding duo.  4’s neck ties higher into a cleaner shoulder, is shallower through his chest floor and much wider and flatter out of his dock.  As a bonus he appears to be extremely wide and flat over his loin edge.  Thus, he should grow into a better balanced more eye appealing wether with more product down his top.

Fourth Place:  3

Entry number: 879
Exhibitor: chickenandsheepgirl
State: FL
Sheep name/number: Mari
Breed: Suffolk/Hampshire

Sure the shorn wether is long sided and large framed, but is the poorest balanced, narrowest topped frailest designed lamb.  In addition to being extremely ewe necked and off in his hip, he is light in his condition, shallow twisted and funnels in the lower third of his leg.  The narrow chested wether is also bowed out in his hock and does not appear to be very good hided so he is an obvious last.